Home secy to meet protesting truckers in evening, issue likely to be resolved amicably, say sources

New Delhi: The Union Home Secretary is meeting protesting truckers in the evening amid a stir by drivers against the new law on hit-and-run cases, and the issue is likely to be resolved amicably, sources said on Tuesday.

Sources also said that truckers' body The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) has so far not given a nationwide strike call in support of the demand for the withdrawal of new stringent imprisonment provisions for hit-and-run accident cases under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. "There is strictly no nationwide strike called by AIMTC in the country and all the issues will be resolved amicably. They are meeting Home Secretary (Ajay Bhalla) later in the evening today," official sources said.

The office bearers of AIMTC, which is an umbrella body of truckers nationwide, want the government to withdraw the provisions claiming these being "onerous" and will create hardship for drivers. Addressing reporters, AIMTC President Amritlal Madan said, "The government must withdraw the provisions relating to hit- and run cases in the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita".

He further said that the truckers association will decide on the future course of action after meeting with the Union home secretary in the evening. Madan also said 60-70 per cent of all trucks are not on the roads right now due to the ongoing strike.

AIMTC Chairman-organising committee Bal Mankit Singh urged the government not to drag the issue for long as was done in the case of the Farmers law. He regretted that the government did not consult with the stakeholders.

According to official sources, the government is seized of the matter and will make an effort to resolve the issue amicably. Under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, drivers who cause a serious road accident by negligent driving and run away without informing the police or any official from the administration can face punishment of up to 10 years or a fine of Rs 7 lakh. The punishment in such cases was 2 years in the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The new provisions triggered strikes by drivers in some states, including Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Massive queues of customers were seen at fuel stations across these states on Tuesday as the truckers' strike hit supplies and triggered a panic buying by people.